10566. 'And consider that this nation is Your people' means that they alone in the world are the ones with whom the Divine, the ruler over all things, resides. This is clear from the meaning of 'Jehovah's nation' as where the Divine Himself resides, and in the spiritual sense where the Lord's Church resides; for all taken together who acknowledge the Lord in faith and love are Jehovah's nation. But the children of Israel at that time had no thoughts of the Church, only of possessing the land of Canaan and of their pre-eminence over others. It was only because Moses had been told that the name of their God, which they had not known previously, was Jehovah, Exodus 3:13-14, and because they witnessed such great miracles performed by Him in Egypt, at the Sea Suph, and in the wilderness, that they acknowledged Jehovah as their God. But even so in their heart there was no belief in Him; for they believed that there were a number of gods. This may be clearly recognized from the golden calf which, while Moses delayed [to come down from the mountain], they venerated as their god, indeed as Jehovah ¹ , and from the gods which after this they so often turned away to, as is evident from the historical narratives of the Word. From this evidence it becomes clear that they worshipped Jehovah solely on account of His miracles and not because He alone was God; and anyone who worships God solely on account of His miracles worships merely God's name, not God Himself, and turns away from that name as often as he does not attain his desires.

The Israelite nation worshipped Jehovah, but only His name, see 3732(end), 4299, 6877.

At heart they were idolaters, 4208, 4281, 4820, 5998, 6877, 7401, 8301, 8882.

They were the worst nation, 4314, 4316, 4317, 4444, 4503, 4570, 4751, 4815, 4820, 4832, 5057, 7248, 8819, 9320; and in addition, 10396.

From all this it now becomes clear what 'that this nation is Your people' means, namely that they alone were the ones with whom Jehovah resided, and so that they would be made pre-eminent over all other nations. But although this is what those words mean in the proximate sense, nevertheless in the internal sense they mean that the Divine, consequently the Church, would reside with them.

脚注:

2628. 'Abraham called the name of his son born to him' means the nature of the Rational was such that it was Divine. This is clear from the representation of 'Abraham' as the Lord as regards the Divine celestial or Divine Good, dealt with many times already; from the meaning of 'calling the name' as the essential nature, dealt with in 144, 145, 1754, 1896, 2009; and from the meaning of 'a son' as the rational, dealt with in 2623, as well as from the meaning of 'born to him' as being manifested from the Divine. From this it is evident that 'Abraham called the name of his son born to him' means that the nature of the Rational was such that it was Divine. From these few words the following three arcana shine through to those who possess the internal sense. The first is that the Lord's Divine Human was a manifestation from the Divine itself, an arcanum which is explained further in this verse; the second is that the Lord's Divine Human was not only conceived but also born from Jehovah, and therefore the Lord as regards the Divine Human is called the Son of God and the Only Begotten, John 1:14, 18, 49; 3:16, 18, 35-36; 5:19-27; 6:69; 9:35; 10:36; 11:27; 14:13-14; 17:1; 20:31; and similarly in the other Evangelists; and the third arcanum is that the Lord's Divine Human is meant by the name of Jehovah, that is, His nature, see John 12:28.